Toothbrush



Aug. 1l', 1931. r. s. BUTLER 1,818,340

TOOTHBRUSH Filed March 11... 1929 JW BY .ff/mgm H15 ATTORNEY PatentedAug. 11, 1931 THOMAS s. iau'iJIiriR,` 0F` CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Applicationmed March 11,1929. Serial No. 3462151).`

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in tooth brushesand has for' its principal object the provision of an improvedconstruction of this character which will be highly efficient in use andeconomical in manufacture.

The salientpobject of my invention is to provide a tooth brush structurewhich will be so arranged in a manner that it will be effective incleaning both sides of the teeth at one operation. y

Another object of the invention, ancillary to the' foregoing, is to`provide a structure in which means will be provided for facilitatingthe manipulation of a brush of the above describedtype.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a brushV of lthe aboveynamedk character which willembody an arrangementpwhereby the cleaningpreparation intended to be'used with the brush may be so arranged in thehandle thereofthat it maybe expeditiously forced onto thebristles of thebrush when so desired. y 'f A still further object of ,'theiinvention isvto provide 'an arrangement for the brush structure in' which thebristles may be so, arranged that they may be expeditiously removed whenso desired.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The inventiony consists in the novel combination and arrangement ofVparts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will bebest understood by reference to the ,accompanyingdrawings, showing the preferred form of construction andv in which:

. Fig. 1 is an elevational view depicting a preferred form ofconstructionfor my de,y

vice;

Fig. 2

f operative position;

" Fig. 3 is a fragmental view partly in elevation and partlyin sectionofthe upper end of the mechanisms illustrated in Fig. 1, said viewbeingv drawn to an enlarged scale;

Fig-iis afragmental plan view of the p t this tab 19 the tabspringsfbackso that when Fig. 5 is a vertical sectionalview of themechanisms as illustrated in Fig. 3;

handlejmember v employed inthe device;

of my improved construction.

lis a pla-n view of the device in I.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view takensubstantially on the line 6-6 onFig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the cart-ridge which contains a cleaningpreparation that is intended to be mounted in` the handle structure; andl n' Fig. 8 is ay detail view of the connection between ythe bristlebearing portion of my improved brush structure and the handle Vmember.

Iny the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferredform of construction for my device 10 indicates a tubular body memberwhich forms the handle One end of y this bodyrmember is rounded asindicated' at 11 anda'nozzle 12 projects from this roundyed end portion.at right angles with respect to the axis ofthe cylindrical body 10. The

`opposite end of the cylindricalbody 10 isclosed by a removable cap 13which in the Ypresent instance is screw threaded onto the body 10.

`The tubularbody 10 is adapted to receive i a cartridge 14 in which acleaning substance;-

such as a suitable paste is :housed and this cartridge 14 is insertedinto the tubular body vmember 10 so that the forward end thereof fwillbe disposed adjacent the rounded end 11.` An annular Vdisc 15 isdisposed in the; tubular body 10 and has a rod 16 extending therefrominteriorly of the tubular vbody member 10 and this rod16 is preferablydisposed on the axis of said'body. At the inner end of the rod 16 isapiston 17 which rides on the inner sur-facev of the cartridge 14.Projecting from the discil is a lug 19 which extends through a slot 18formedv in the tubular body 10.y This lug 19 is so engaged that the disc15 may be moved toward the rounded end portion 11 which-will force thematerial from the cartridge 14 through the nozzle 12. A tab portion 19is directed from the cartridge `141 and has the free end thereofextended toward the end of the cartridge which is inserted toward therounded end'11.v

After the piston 17 has been forced beyond the piston 17 is moved towardthe cap 13 tab 19 and thus the cartridge 14 will move with the piston 17and in this manner the cartridge 14 may be expeditiously removed fromthe tubular body 10 after the same has been emptied.

A substantially U-shape bracket 20 is provided which includes arms 21and 22. The arm 22 has an offset portion adjacent the outer end which isindicated by 23. The outer ends of the arms 21 and 22 have .en-

larged portions 24, the purpose of which will be set forth presently.

I provide two bristle bearing heads 25 and 26 which are mounted inhousings 27 and 28. The housings 27 and 28 are substan- Vtiallyrectangular in cross-section and have of the arms 2l and 22 are insertedinto the housings 27 and 28. The enlarged end portion 24 on the arm 22is inserted into the housing 27 and is disposed therein between the wallportion of the housing 27 opposite the wall portion having the slot 29therein and the back of the bristle bearing head 25 as clearly`illustrated in Figs. `3, 4 and 6.

On the enlarged end portion'24 are outwardly extending detents 33 and 34which fit into openings 35 and 36 in the wall portion of the housing 27having the opening 29 formed therein and these arms serve to lock thebristle bearing head 25 in the` housing 27, this end of the housingbeing open to permit the insertion lof the bristle bearing head 25 whilethe opposite end thereof is closed. The bristle bearing head 26 issimilarly mounted in the housing 28 and it is apparent from the Fig. 2that the bristles of these two brush constructions are arranged toextend toward each other.

The bight-portion 37 of the U'-shape bracket 20 is intended to bedisposed in a link 38 having an opening 39 therein. This link 38 may beformed of any suitable material and in this Connection a preferred mateY 4 rial is metal which may be covered with a suitable resilientmaterial such as rubber. The opening 39 permits the bight-portion l 37of the bracket 20 to be moved relative to the member 38 and also permitsthe bracket 2O to be pivoted about this member.

"In the offset portion 23 of the arm 22 I provide an opening 40 having akeyway 41 associated therewith. On i the nozzle 12 I provide a boss 42.VThe nozzle l2 is'passed through the opening 41 and the lug 42 is passedthrough the keyway 41 so that this lug will be disposed beyond theportion 23 and in thismanner the bracket 2O is connected to the tubularbody member 10.

In use, the link 38 is disposed between the teeth of the upper and lowerjaw with the slot 39 opening horizontally. For example, if the link 38was disposed between the bicuspid teeth of the right side of the jaw thebristles 3() of the heads 25 and 26 would be disposed on the inner andouter sides, respectively, of the teeth adjacent the eye or canine teethon the left side of the jaw, these bristles being associated with eitherthe teeth on the upper or lower The jaw 10 would then be gripped and'inthis manner the bristles 30 might be moved either vertically of theteeth or laterally thereover dependent upon the manipulation of the bodyl0. In order to clean the teeth rearwardly of the just described teeththe link 38 would be gradually moved forwardly thus permitting thebristles to be moved further rearwardly and when desired to clean teethforwardly of the described teeth the link 38 would be moved rearwardly.Then desired to clean the teeth where the link 38 has been gripped thesame would be moved into a position whereby it could be gripped by thepreviously cleaned teeth and thel above described action would again berepeated. Since the link 38 is gripped between the teeth with theopening 39 opening horizontally it is manifest that' the arms 2l and 22and the bight portion 37 may be moved between the teeth through theopening 39 and may also be pivoted vertically relative tothe teeth andtherefore the above ldescribed cleaning action may be carried out.

The nozzle 12 includes a discharge portion 43 which extends to a pointin juxtaposition to the inner end of the bristle bearing heads and bymanipulating the lug 17 in the manner set forth the cleaning preparationin the cartridge 14 may be forced out onto the bristles so as to aid thecleaning action hereinbefore described.

It is apparent that the link 38 will be disposed atdiiferent points inthe jaw so fas the bristles may act on different teeth and this movingabout is carried on until all of the teeth have been cleaned.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification, without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchVariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims. i

Having thus described my linvention what lil@ fi. 1 u

lllli I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: Y

1. In a device of the class described, a bracket member having brushstructures mounted at the outer ends thereof having the bristlesextending toward each other, a handle member connected to said bracketmember whereby vertical and horizontal movement may be imparted to saidbracket member and said brush structures, said bracket member having aportion thereof disposed in a member having elongated openings formedtherein whereby when said last named member is held stationary and saidvertical movement is imparted to said bracket member said bracket memberis pivoted about said stationary member and when said horizontalmovement is imparted to said bracket member said bracket member is movedthrough said elongated slot. 2. In a device of the class described, asubstantially U-shape bracket member having brush structures mounted atthe outer ends of the arms thereof, said bracket member having thebight-portion thereof confined in an elongated opening in a link member,and a handle structure adapted to be connected to one of the arms ofsaid bracket structure whereby vertical and horizontal movement may beimparted thereto.

3. In a device of the class described, a substantially U-shape bracketmember having brush structures mounted at the outer ends of the armsthereof, said bracket member having the bight-portion thereof confinedin an elongated opening in a link member, and a handle structureconnected to one of the arms of said bracket structure whereby verticaland horizontal movement may be imparted thereto, said handle membercontaining a cleaning preparation contained in a cartridge,a nozzle onsaid handle member extending to a point in juxtaposition to the bristlesof said brush structure, and means for forcing material from saidcartridge through said nozzle onto said brushstructures. Y

In testimony whereof I aiiX my signature.

THOMAS S. BUTLER.

